John Mara acknowledged yet again the Giants are taking a risk in giving restricted free agent Victor Cruz a first-round tender worth $2.879 million, which they officially did Monday.

In doing so, the Giants have put themselves in somewhat of a precarious position: they could lose the Paterson native and Pro Bowl wide receiver — one of their most popular and productive players over the past two seasons – to another team.

That is, if the price is right for Cruz and someone else and wrong for the Giants.

Word also came down via a report from USA Today’s Mike Garafolo that Cruz has switched agents, opting to sign with Tom Condon of CAA and leave Malik Shareef. Surely not a coincidence, Condon represents Eli Manning and Mathias Kiwanuka, among others.

“Listen, he’s been a great player for us,” said Mara, who spoke to reporters in New York following a news conference during which the NFL and GE announced a joint $40 million research program for brain injury diagnosis. “Like we do with all of our players, there’s a limit as to how far we’re going to go on a contract. You have to pay 53 [players], and if the money goes over that limit, we have to make a decision. But we feel we’re in a good position now. … If somebody wants to make him an offer, we’ll evaluate whether it makes sense for us. My hope is he’s a Giant for many years.”

The Giants also tendered two other restricted free agents Monday: running back Andre Brown and safety Stevie Brown, both at the second-round level worth $2.02 million.

Only one RFA has changed teams in the last four seasons (RB Mike Bell, who went from the Saints to the Eagles in 2010), including none in the past two.

Cruz, 26, has earned a more lucrative deal than the one with which he has made $990,000 in his first three NFL seasons. What Mara reiterated Monday is that the Giants might not be willing or able to give him what his representatives believe he deserves.

Cruz is now free to entertain offers from the rest of the league. If a team meets his asking price, the Giants would have five days to match and keep him. If the Giants decide the price is out of their range, the team signing Cruz would owe them a 2013 first-round pick.

Potential suitors are not just those who would be willing to give up that first-round pick, but also have enough room under the salary cap to give Cruz a long-term deal the Giants would be unable to match.

While Mara insists the Giants have presented Cruz a long-term deal that would make him a “very wealthy young man,” the sides remain apart.

“I also think I’ll say one other thing: I think Victor is smart enough to realize that he belongs in this area,” Mara said. “I think he’s done very well for himself off the field. He’s a very popular player here. He’s had a lot of off the field opportunities. So hopefully all those other things will enter into his consideration.”

Comments

Subscribe to True Blue

Enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts by email.

Search True Blue

Search for:

About Art Stapleton

Art Stapleton is in his first season as Giants beat writer and NFL columnist for The Record. North Jersey born and raised, the UMass graduate has made his mark with award-winning journalism from high school to the pros in North Jersey since 1997. He has covered the World Series, NBA Finals, the Final Four and the Super Bowl, most recently in Indianapolis as the Giants finished atop the football world. He and his wife, Mary, welcomed their daughter, Mary Anne, in August 2008.